Champagne and flowers
by Freythefrog
Summary: StAsh love story. Rated M because of Ch9. Spoilers for season 4. Mostly post-4.06. Ash and Stacie have been in love with each other for a very long time, but will they ever work up the courage to tell each other?
1. Chapter 1

**1. Let's get it over with**

"A little tacky, don't you think?" Stacie was commenting, wrinkling her nose at the black piece.

He felt really akward. And he bet that she wasn't so comfortable either. When Danny had pulled the lingerie out of the bag, he didn't know what to think. He only knew that he didn't like it and that he didn't want Danny ogling her dressed in it.

But what came next was a real chock. "Right, Ash. Time to get your kit off, me old mate." Danny said, before continuing to tell them his plan.

With every word that came out of his mouth, Ash and Stacie grew even more horrified.

Albert was his usual calm self while Danny told them his plan. He didn't seem to think it was anything out of the ordinary. But Albert was up for anything, as long as it didn't include putting them at unnessecary risk. Hell, Albert wasn't the one that had to do it.

Ash felt very self-concious and felt a blush coming on. He tried to argue with Danny to come up with another plan. "No way. What would it gain that can't be done any other way?"

Stacie chipped in. "Yeah, you're just gonna have to come up with another plan" she said, pouting.

"Come on, gang. It's brilliant plan, if I may say so myself, ..." Danny started.

He was cut off by Stacie "No, Danny, you may not. Even if it might work, we're not doing it. There has to be a limit to what stupid things you put us through."

"Yeah. Even grifters have integrity. Right, Albert?" Ash asked, looking at the older man.

"Listen, nobody is going to make either of you do anything that you do not want to do. But I do think that it's a good plan and that it's our best shot at convincing the mark of the story." Albert replied.

"Alby, there has to be another way" Stacie was pleading.

But this time her wide eyes had no effect on the American. "If you won't do it, then you won't. But I think we should trust in Danny." he said. He had always prided himself in having the best crew of grifters. And grifters do whatever it takes once the con is on. He would have understood a slight unease, but not expected them to turn it right down.

"Albert's right. You can trust me, I'm a genius" Danny said, looking expectantly at the pair.

Stacie threw a glance at Ash, who was looking down at the leather seat, and back up at Danny and Albert. She slumped her shoulders in defeat. Ash looked up at her and shrugged. "I guess, if you are willing to do it, Stace, then I'll just have to give in" he said drawing out the words.

"Excellent! Stacie, here you go" Danny exclaimed, pulling up a camera from a bag on the floor and turning it on.

"No, no, no. If we are to do this, and I say_ if_, then we'll do it alone. You get out, Danny."

"You have to be in the pictures, so you can't take them yourselves. Perks of being the boss, this" Danny said, winking at Stacie.

"You're not boss!" the three of them argued back at him.

"Yeah, well ... whatever. I will bee soon. For now, though, I'll be the photographer."

"No you won't" Ash chipped in. "You 'eard the lady, we'll take the photos ourselves. We'll just press the timer button."

Danny gave them a few last minute orders and then unwillingly followed Albert out of the car.

"I think I need a drink" Stacie said and grabbed two of the small champagne bottles from the small fridge in the front part of the Hummer limousine. She handed one to Ash and they downed them in a matter of minutes. Neither of them said anything or looked directly at the other. Ash took the camera and turned on the timer setting, mindful to turn his back to let her undress in privacy.

He couldn't wait to get a glimpse of her, but at the same time he dreaded unbuttoned his belt and his jeans before pulling his boxers even higher up. He could hear her rummage around, getting ready for the deed.

"Okay. Let's get it over with" she finally said.

***

Danny and Albert were still out and about, trying to convince their mark. Stacie and Ash were left to themselves in the hotel suite. She was slouched over a sofa, reading a magazine and sipping away at a coctail. He sat in front of his computer in a corner of the living room and concentrated on putting the final touches to a document they might need later on.

His eyes were getting weary from staring at the screen for so long. After finishing the document, he printed it out and put it in a holdall on the table. He looked at his watch. Almost seven o'clock. "Dou you fancy going down for a bite?" he asked her.

They had barely spoken more than two words since getting out of the limousine earlier in the day. She was glad that someone finaly broke the akward silence. "Sure" she said, giving him one of her famous flashing smiles.

They swiftly hid all documents that could connect them to the case and locked the room. Once out in the corridor both traced the patterins in the red carpet with theyr eyes, all the way to the elevator.

"How do you think Danny and Albie are doing?" she asked as she hit the button for the right floor.

He thought for a bit before answering. "I'm a bit concerned about Danny. I know he'll pull it off eventually, but he always seems to spin himself into a web on the way. And then we have to run around like fools to unspin it."

"Yeah, he is still a bit green at times. But Albie's there to keep him on the straight and narrow." Stacie said as they got out of the elevator and stepped over to the bar.

He signed at the nearest waitress to get them a table for two and ordered in their drinks from the bar tender at the same time. She was always impressed with how he was able to do so many things at once and make it seem so effortless.

"Yeah. Albie is a gem." he said, looking back at her.

She just nodded in agreement. They took their drinks off the bar counter and sat down at the table the waitress showed them to. They were silent for a few moments and he lethis mind wonder through the events of the day. "You know, you looked good today." he finally said as he kept looking down at his drink.

"It was tacky." she exclaimed, cheeks starting to get slightly pink.

"Yeah. But you made it look good." he persisted.

"You don't have to ..." she trailed off. They both seemed consumed with staring at their drinks.

"I'm just giving you the facts." he said, looking questioningly over at her and then down again. "Okay?"

"Okay." she sighed. She covered his hand on the table with her own and looked at him. "Thank you."

He glanced nervously up at her and she took her hand away. A smile was tugging at the corner of her mouth. "You know, I'm glad it was you and not Danny." she said with a laugh.

He scoffed at her comment but looked very pleased with himself when the waitress came over to hand them their menus.


	2. Chapter 2

I forgot the disclaimer in the last chapter. Well, here goes: _I dont own anything, I just love the characters. Hope you don't mind._

**2. Only fools and horses**

"You know, it really wasn't like you to make a mistake with the contract. I'm beginning to think that maybe you were distracted." Stacie said, innocently taking a sip of her water.

Ash looked away, looking uncomfortable. "I don't know what you mean."

"And you never really did say exactly what happened that night. How exactly they convinced you to sign." She felt jealous. She and Ash had been good friends for longer than she could remember, he used to work with her dad in the old days. She told hersalf that she was just concerned for her friend and didn't like him keeping things from her. Or from the rest of the gang. That must be it. "Did you have to work very, very hard" she said, finally turning her head and looking at him.

"Look, can we just concentrate on the matter in 'and?" he asked, turning redder by the second. He was ashamed of what he did that night. But who could blame him. It wasn't like he got any that often. It was torture, being so close to someone you want so much and not being able to do anything about it. But he used to do cons with her father and he watched her grow up. He was old enough to be her father. Still, he couldn't help himself. He'd fallen deeply for his friend. His colleague. His Stacie.

"Oh, struck a nerve, did I?" she asked and smirked, despite the conflicting feelings that were wizzing around inside her head.

"No ... no. I just think we should go watch the race, that's all." he looked back at her, trying his best to give her a stern glance so that she'd stop bombarding him with questions and not-so-well-concealed implications.

"Three Socks Morgan." she commented, shaking her head amusedly. She'd been told the story of how he got his nickname all through her childhood, but it wasn't until she was in her late teens that she understood it. And she'd never found out if it was just a myth or if it was in fact for real. She'd always wondered.

He winced and glanced over at her concentrating on the water in the plactic cup she held in her right hand. Of course, she noticed his look. She began to smile and so did he. He'd never been more proud of his nic than the moment she called him by it. He grinned mischievously and let her wonder. She hit him playfully on his forearm.

Suddenly, he spotted Suki and Petra, the mark's girls, a bit furter away. He gave them a tiny wave, just to see how she would react. She just continued smiling. He couldn't see her throat dry up or the sudden pounding at her temple.

***

Danny had decided to call a couple of the girls he'd interviewed and put them down gently by taking them all out for a drink together. He stood at a bar, in the middle of a crowd of eight women and was having the time of his life. Albert had taken his share of the winnings and gone to a casino. And he'd taken Billy with him, to teach him a few short cons. Ash had gone to visit June at the nursing home.

Stacie was the only one left at the hotel. She had put on some soft music and drawn a bath. But after half an hour her skin was starting to get wrinkly and she decided to get out of the water. She dried herself off and put on track bottoms and a comfortable top. Then she went out on the roof terrasse and stretched her long limbs for a while.

She could hear the door open and close downstairs, but didn't know who it was. She didn't think it would be Danny, he wouldn't have been able to get away from the air heads that fast. And Albert was probably sitting by the black jack table. She assumed it would be either Ash getting back or Billy having forgotten something at home.

Ash walked up the stairs a moment later and put a stop to her queries. "I'm back." he stated.

"How was she?" Stacie asked softly while continuing to bend over at the railing to stretch her legs.

"You know." he said wearily. "Every day is different." He did his best not to look straighly at her slender bent over form. Sometimes the urge to make her his was almost overwhelming. He looked away and walked over to the edge of the terrasse.

She placed both her feet firmly on the ground and turned to face him. "You just have to ask. Any of us. You know that, don't you." she told him quietly. She wasn't used to seing this melancholic side of him. She wanted him to be his boyish, winking, magical self.

He nodded soberly. "So what do you think of the new boy?" he asked to change the topic.

"He's got potential. He seems bright and he's enthusiastic." she stated. "What do you think?"

"He's a welcome addition and I think he'll prove to be an asset. We've just got to teach him a bit and he'll be fine. He seems eager to please." Ash answered.

He threw an arm around her shoulders as they both gazed out at the London landscape. They stood still for a minute without saying anything, just enjoying the view and each others silent company.

"So, what are you going to do with your winnings?" he asked her after a while.

"I think a bit will go towards my dream beach house. And as for the rest, I don't know yet. You?"

"I don't know either. I've been thinking of treating myself to a holiday at some point. But that's as far as I've got - thinking about it." he revealed.

"What did you have in mind?" she asked. The response came as a surprise to her and she looked astonished. She saw him in a whole new light, and it suited him.

"I was thinking of going up north for a week by the coast somewhere. Just me, the sea and a couple of seagulls. Walking by the coast, eating fish and chips and living without a computer or mobile phone for a week."

"I had you down as more of a city guy." she said laughingly. "I had no idea you were pining to roam the wilderness of the countryside."

"You thought I had ladies in every port and couldn't go a day without my laptop, did you?" he asked playfully. "Nah, I'm an old romantic, me." He sighed inwardly. Being a grifter was urban work and it was the work that made you hard. You couldn't do it if you were a softie. So he had built up this guard that very few were able to see past. But he had just given her a peak at what he was really like. He wanted her to know that he was more than Ash, the man who could get anything.

She laughed. "Oh, yeah? Do you think Paul's girls would agree?" she asked him. The jealous pang hit her stomach again, but she forced it away. He wasn't interested anyway. And she shouldn't be thinking about things like that if she wanted to go on working with him. And that she did.

He grinned knowingly at her and said "That's for me to know ..."

"Only fools and horses, eh?" she said, swatting his arm playfully.

"Something like that." he said hugging her closer to his side as he looked out over the skyscrapers that were blocking the horizon. "Something like that, yes."


	3. Chapter 3

**3. Don't you ever do that again**

"Where is Eddie?" Danny asked, carefully intonating each word to make sure the mysterious oriental man all dressed in black understood him.

The man just continued to quietly watch him closely, contempt shining in his eyes. They stood staring at each other on either side of the bar desk.

Ash, who was standing next to the man, was getting seriously pissed off. "My friend asked you a question, direct and polite" he said in a serious tone that most people would have found intimidating, while grabbing the oriental mans shirt at his shoulder. "Where is Eddie?"

He had barely asked his question when the man flipped Ash's head against the bar with a loud bang. He then continued to force Ash down on his knees by taking hold of his left hand and bending his wrist in a swift and powerful movement. Ash let out a groan of pain an he felt a sharp twang in his arm.

Everyone was surprised by the chain of events. Stacie felt her breath catch in her throat as the man hurt her dear friend. It felt like everything was passing in slow motion, the seconds dragged out to hours as all she could do was watch Ash get hurt.

The pain was taking its toll on Ash. He was starting to feel light headed. He was barely able to keep thinking straight. But one look at the obviously frightened Stacie gave him powers he didn't know he had inside him.

He could only hear part of the conversation going on around him, the wrist hurt like hell. Suddenly the man let go of him and Ash fell to the floor like a sack of potatoes. Stacie gave out a squeak and had to force herself to stay put on the other side of the bar. The need to help Ash was almost unbearably, but she new it wasn't safe to move.

Two minutes later, the five of them were sitting around a table in the middle of the bar. Ash was massaging his wrist to relieve the dull throbs that were shooting through it. Stacie made herself look away from him, it was the only way she could stay focused on what lay before them. She kept reminding herself that they needed to have their wits about them if they were to get out of this unharmed.

"Which one did this? Boss must eat first." the man said. He was looking at Ash, who was sitting at the far end of the table, as he opened the little box and took a few steps back.

Stacie eyed the contents of the little black box suspiciously, then casting a glance at first Alby and then Ash. She couldn't decipher their looks exactly, but knew that they were scared as well.

"Fugu." Ash commented. This wasn't good news, he knew what the seemingly innocent pieces of fish might be capable of.

"Fugu" the man repeated, still looking directly as Ash. He had obviously decided that Ash was the boss and gave him the evil eye. This made cold shivers run down Stacies back.

Danny had no idea why the others were glancing so hesitantly at the fish. Sushi was all right, wasn't it?

"It's a puffer fish. Parts of the puffer fish contain a neurotoxin potent enough to kill a man in less than a minute." Albert explained.

Ash continued "If it's wrongly prepared, wrongly cut by the chef, so accidentally, the toxin has leached into the flesh. " He was struggling to keep his mind clear. The physical pain and the mental press was making it hard to think. But he knew that it was vital for eveyone to keep calm and focused.

"You're telling me ... that one piece of this fish is poisonous?" he heard Stacie ask. Ash thought her voice was strained and cold, it lacked its usual softness.

"Boss will eat first." the man repeated and kept staring at Ash.

Suddenly Albert decided to bite the bullet. "No, I'm the boss here. And it is me who is responsible for any shame to your father."

"Albert" Stacie said warnigly. She wasn't going to let the teams father figure take any chances lying down. She wasn't going to let any of them take any chances with the fish. She had to think of something.

Ash's mind worked in the same way. He wasn't going to stand idly by while Albert, or any one else, took a risk. Ideally, no one would have to do it. But as they didn't seem to have much choice, he was the one who should make a sacrifice. Alby was the one who always looked out for the rest of them, and the boys and Stacie still had so much before them. He was never going to let anyone harm Stacie. And this way he could make sure she was safe. "He's lyin' I'm the boss."

When the man started swinging his sword, everyone jumped in their seats. They were certain that they were dealing with a crazy lunatic. The man got tired of Danny's nonsense and cut a piece of Stacie's hair before shoving the sword against her cheek and putting preassure on, ever so slightly.

Stacie had never been so scared in her life and Ash was raging inside. It took all his strenght to keep still in his chair, the ache in his arm seemed to suddenly die away. He felt hopeless and powerless. Never had he missed Mickey as much as right now. Mickey always knew what to do. But Mickey was in Australia, they had to figure this one out without him. They had to figure this out for themselves. He had to think of something. Something to save her and the rest of them.

The man took the sward away and Stacie wiped the blood of her pale cheek. Now she was terrified.

Ash was insisting on being next. He stood up from his chair. "We do have honour." he said, doing his best to keep his voice calm. He stared intently into the man's eyes.

"Then show me" came the reply.

Ash looked straight at the man. He looked back at the box on the table and back up at the man. He selected a piece and put it in his mouth. He chewed a few times before swalloing the raw fish.

Stacie watched him reach for his lips before he fell into a heap on the floor. She was paralysed. Next thing she knew, she was on the floor beside her fallen friend. She was sobbing. "My God! Do something!" She stroked his face and looked into his eyes. He was convulsing and shaking in front of her and she could do nothing. He would be dead within two minutes. Tears flooded from her eyes as she held his head and prayed.

Ash held on to her hand on his face. He calmed down and his whole body became limp. He could hear her crying out softly. "Ash. Oh, Ash." He could see in her eyes that she was about to give up. But he could see something else as well, something that she usually hid deep down inside. Love.

He wanted so badly to give her a wink and a smile. To let her know that he was fine. But he had to save them all. And in order to do that, he had to let them all believe he was dead. He knew that he hurt her, but he had to do it for all their sakes.

She kissed him softly on the cheek. He still didn't dare react to her actions, for fear that she might give him away and put them all in jeopardy again.

The man started applauding his performance. Stacie was beside herself with sorrow, but when she heard the clapping all her sadness turned into rage. "Your heartless little shit!" she bellowed at the man.

Ash knew it was game over. The man knew he hadn't died. And he couldn't bear to let Stacie believe he was dead any longer. The pain seething from her whole being was unbearable to him.

"No, it's all right, Stace. It's all right." he suddenly said and opened his eyes. The relief washing over her made her mute. He was alive! Suddenly, she felt very weak. He looked into her eyes and said "He knows."

Stacie helped him sit up on the floor in front of her. She didn't want to let go of him, she needed to feel his warm body against the palm of her hand so that she knew he was still there. With her.

He got up and sat down in one of the arm chairs. She patted him on the back before getting up herself, feeling cold and alone without him close by.

There was two fugu left and the man concentrated on Stacie and Albert. Now that she knew Ash was all right, Stacie became her rational self again. She was sure that they would be able to fight the man and his fish.

***

After a terrifying day, they had all had an early night. But none of them were able to sleep. They were tossing and turning in their beds until vary late in the night.

Stacie wasn't able to take the stillness of her dark room anymore. She felt she had to get out, so she threw the duvet to the end of her bed and climbed out. She put on the violet robe that hang over a chair by the door and tripped into the kitchen on her toes.

She poured some milk into a glass and went through the door to the living room. The dark form sat on the sofa startled her.

"Don't worry, it's only me." came the Ash's voice through the darkness as he moved slightly to make room for her beside him.

She sat down at the far end and put her glass on the table. She wasn't thirsty. She felt herself getting angry with him for the stunt he had played at the bar earlier in the evening.A few hot tears rolled down her pale cheeks and she said angrily "Don't you ever do that again, Ash!"

He moved closer to wipe away her tears and proceeded to draw her into a tight embrace. "I promise." he wispered into her hair. It made his heart heavy to see her like this. He felt that he needed to protect her.

She kept on sobbing quietly against his polo jumper. She couldn't imagine what it would have been like without him. What would they have done if he'd have died? She wasn't sure what she would have done without her friend. Without her Ash. This gave way for a new flood of tears.

He squeezed her more closely to himself and started rubbing her back in soft circles. Her shoulders slumped and she seemed to calm down a bit. "Schh." he said into her hair. "It's all right."

She broke loose from his tight grip just enough to be able to look him directly in the eye. Her red and puffy eyes met his sad, piercing blue ones. "I was so scared." she said, almost being able to control the crying by now.

"I'm sorry, darling." he said, his heart breaking under her gaze. "But I thought I might have a chance of fooling him. I had to try." he said, still rubbing her back.

She nodded. "I know. I would have done the same." she admitted. "But please, never do it again." She looked away from his eyes and down to the wet stain on his beige jumper where she had been crying. She moved away a bit, then curled up her feet under her and let her head rest on his shoulder. She needed to stay close to him, to feel his warmth and his heartbeat under her.

He draped an arm over her again and closed his eyes, happy that she was so close. He had to control his breath to stop his heart from racing. She leaned into him a bit more and took his other hand is both hers. "I need you." she wispered, loud enough for him to barely hear it.

She was soon asleep with his hand in hers and he found it hard to keep awake as well. He drifted on and off into sleep for a while, revelling in the feeling of her beside him.

After some time on the couch, his arm began to ache again. He didn't want to break contact with her, but he needed to get into a more comfortable position. He thought about shifting the pressure off his arm by laying down on the sofa with her beside him. But he didn't want Danny finding them there in the morning. So he had to wake her up.

He tried to get up from under her without her falling over on the sofa, but failed miserably. So he changed tactics and shook her slightly with his free hand. Her eyelids started to flutter and she looked tiredly up at him. "Hi" she said sleepily.

"Hi" he answered. "We can't sleep here all night." She seemed to agree, but then her eyes shut. As he moved her away slightly and stood up, she opened her eyes again. Still keeping hold of her hand, he said softly "Let's get you to bed."

She nodded and made an effort to stand up. He helped the shaky form get up from the couch and led her over the floor towards her bedroom. He gave her hand a quick squeeze and started to let go. "Night, Stace."

But she didn't want to let go of him yet so she held on to his hand. She looked into his eyes and said "You can sleep in my bed."

He had been dreaming about being beside her in bed, sleeping close to her. But he was sure that she was only saying that because she was sleepy and didn't know what to do. "Another night maybe."

She didn't answer, but didn't let him turn and go to his room either. She took a step closer to him and placed a kiss right on his lips. "Thanks." she said simply before letting go of his hand, opening the door and walking away.

He stood there outside her closed door, paralysed, for a few seconds. He suddenly felt cold. Then he smiled broadly as he walked over to his own room. He could still feel his hand tingling from where she had held on to him.


	4. Chapter 4

**4. What do we do next**

The peace and quiet didn't last for very long. They soon flew out to Vegas to help Albert, who had gotten into trouble at one of the casinos. After ending up in the little grey dinghy in Santa Monica and succeeding to get back to the shore, they took the first flight back to London.

Three days later they were at it again, Albert roping in a new mark and Danny bossing the rest of them around. He'd just sent Stacie and Ash to get a suitable vechicle and some other small things. Danny himself was going to have a one-to-one teaching session with Billy.

"Listen up, kiddo. And I hope you're taking notes. As your mentor ..." Danny was starting his lecture as Stacie closed the door behind them.

"No rest for the wicked." she said, winking at Ash. He gave a short laugh.

Once they were out of the building, they turned around the corner and he waved down a cab. "You have a plan?" he asked her.

"Yup." she answeder and nodded before getting into the taxi. "Ten minutes." she stated, smiling mischievously at Ash. She glanced at her watch and closed the door behine her. "Victoria station, please." she told the driver and the car drove off, leaving Ash on the sidewalk.

He turned around and walked a couple of blocks to a bus stop. The bus was just pulling in when he arrived so he got in and produced a fake ticket from one of the many pockets in his black leather jacket.

Six minutes later he got off the bus, turned round a corner and got inte the waiting black car. "Good work" he told a smiling Stacie as she pulled out and drove off in the cab. He digged into a pocket an provided a ten pund note that he handed to her through the small window in the glass wall. He'd made a bet with her that she wouldn't be able to con a taxi off a driver in less than fifteen minutes.

"Thank you. My pleasure." she told him.

"Just out of interest, how did you do it?" he asked her curiously.

"Oh, you know. The old dog in the bar trick." she said, smiling wickedly while managing the traffic.

"What? That doesn't make any sense. With the dog in the bar you sell them a dodgy dog. What kind of a dog would get you a taxi?"

"Strictly speaking, it included a dog and a bar. But ..." she trailed off, eyeing him in the rear view mirror. This was fun, keeping him waiting for her to provide the solution.

He was getting suspicious, his eyes narrowing. "Yea'?"

"I have a friend who is a cab driver. I happened to bump into him in a bar last week. And since he's gone on holiday to Mallorca with his wife, I asked if I could borrow his cab."

"So this isn't the same cab that you got into outside the hotel?" ha asked her, having a hard time knowing what to believe.

"Nope. But I had to get into it to be able to get this." she said and waved the ten pound note in the air while steering the car into a small backstreet. "The sweetest con of all ..."

"... is to con another grifter" he filled in.

"One who should know better." she said laughingly, as she managed the car into a parking space in a back alley

Being the torough man he was, Ash was still caught up on a detail. "But you said there was a dog involved?"

"Ah. That's his wife. She's a real pit bull, at least that's what he says." Stacie laughed. She turned off the engine and took out the key before turning around in her seat so that she had a better view of him. With the glass wall in between them, she dared give him a smirk. She loved playing games with Ash. He always made the playful side of her come alight.

"You little minx." he said, looking at her admiringly.

She smiled warmly back at him, before asking "So what do we do next?"

"We need a stewardess costume for you, a pair of champagne bottels that look like they're worth a fortune and a hamster in a wheel" he read aloud from the paper.

"Who do we go to for the champagne?" Stacie asked.

"I've got Vino Vinnie on to it, we should be able to pick it up later today. But first we need to get the dress and a hamster." he told her. He gave her a friendly wink and added "Let's go find you a saucy dress."

"... says the man who didn't want to get into my bed two weeks ago", she said, looking pointedly at him.

He was taken aback. Shit, he thought, did she remember that? He had assumed that she had been so tired that she was more or less out of it. This wasn't good news. On the other hand, that opened up the possibility that her invitation had been something more than just the sleepiness speaking. His pulse quickened. He forced himself to look at her calmly through the glass wall. "Well, I wasn't going to take advantage of a lady who was barely able to stand up on her own now, was I?" he said, looking into her eyes.

She smiled back at him seductively. "I wasn't all that tired. I just faked it in order to be able to cling on to a very sweet guy for a little while longer." It was the truth, but she hadn't thought that she would ever pick up the courage to tell him so. Now it was done. It's do or die, she thought.

"That right?" he asked her surprisedly. His pulse was quickening by the second. He decided to go for it. He got out of the car and gentlemanly opened the door to the driver's seat.. "So, would you by any chance be willing to let this sweet guy wine and dine you tonight?" he said, twinkle in his eyes as he looked at her.

"I'd love to." she said. She grabbed her bag before stepping out of the car, saying "Now let's get on with it. The sooner we're ready with the groundwork, the sooner we can clock off."

"Yeah ..." he said, barely loud enough for her to hear, while he kept looking in the other direction "I wanna get home early, 'cos I have a hot date tonight."

She blushed a little as she set off walking towards the boutique that sold uniforms to all the better airlines. He followed her for a few hundred yards, then he jumped in to a dark alleyway. He glued on a false moustache and combed his hair to the sides, before crossing the heavily trafficed street and dodged into a pet shop.

***

She had snuck off with an explanation about girl's night out, dressed in a fluttery pink dress and black pumps. "Don't wait up." she said over her shoulder as she grabbed her handbag and walked out the door.

The men had all sat at the kitchen counter talking. As she walked past, they all turned to look at her. Danny kept staring at the door long after she had disappeard through it. Ash chuckled quietly and Albert smiled.

"I met this woman once in Monaco ..." the older man started, looking up into the ceiling as he told them about his past fling.

She was sitting at a corner table in a busy bar in central London, an unread magazine opened on the table in front of her. She fished up her phone from her bag and dialed a familiar number. "I'm at the bar." she said when she heard him answer on the other end of the line.

_Nigel. What can I do you for?_

"I've been called a lot of things in my life, but never before have I gone by 'Nigel'" she said laughingly.

_Sure. What about that new place down on Oxford Street? I think it's called 'The lucky lady'._

"Just get down here, you wanker." she said, smiling to herself. Using a strip club as cover for their date was just like him. Sometimes his sense of humour was quite twisted.

He laughed._ All right. See you in twenty. Ta-ta._

"Bye." she said and hang up. She was a bit nervous, it wasn't every day that she went out with a guy that knew her as well as Ash. And she really did like him a lot, even more than she dared admit to herself. She started looking through the property magazine, just to have something to do while she waited.

About twenty minutes later, she was glancing up at the clock on the wall for the fifth time since the phone call. She bit her lower lip. It wasn't like him to be late. But she figured the phone call might not have been enough to convince the others that he was going to meet 'Nigel'. He might had had some explaining to do.

She took a sip of her champagne. The glass was almost empty by now. She continued looking at the adverts in the magazine. A Victorian four bedroom house in Essex, a small cottage off the Cornwall coast, ...

Suddenly, she felt someone hover close behind her so she turned around. Ash was standing behind her chair, two glasses in his hands. He leaned down to give her a soft kiss on her cheek, then handed her the champagne glass. He sat down opposite her and placed his whisky tumbler on the table.

"You look lovely" he said looking admiringly at her. "That colour suits you."

"You don't clean up too bad, youself" she returned the compliment. "Is that what you usually wear when you talk to old pals in strip clubs, eh?" She looked at the man sitting in front of her in a navy coloured pin striped suit and a shirt the same light blue as his eyes.

He mirrored her raised eyebrow and plastered on a cocky grin. "Well, Nigel always was as gay as a fruit basket. I thought I'd make an effort for 'im."

"Oh, just drink up and let's get going." she laughed.

"If I didn't know you better, I'd think you were planning to get me drunk and taking advantage of me."

"You just believe whatever makes you happy, mate." she said playfully while she covered his hand on the table with hers.

They emptied the rest of their drinks while continuing with the gentle bantering.

He looked at the clock on the wall. "So, lucky lady, are you ready to go? I've made reservations for half six."

"Reservations? Where?" she said surprisedly. She hadn't known that he had planned it in that much detail. But as it was already twenty five past six, it couldn't be any place very far away. She got up, put the magazine she had been reading earlier in her hand bag and placed it on her shoulder.

He got up as well and reached out for her hand. When she put it in his, Ash locked his fingers with hers and led her out of the dimly lit pub. She couldn't stop smiling happily.

Outside, the sun was still shining. They crossed the road to the riverbank and made their way a couple of hundred yards down stream. "Where are you taking me?" she asked.

He just smiled at her. He went on to wave at a man who was navigating a red canal boat on the river. When the captain halted the long boat by the side of the river, he helped her step aboard and then jumped on after her.

"When did you have the time to organise this?" Stacie asked him as she walked down the steps and bent her tall figure to get inside.

"After I got the hamster this morning."

She had stopped in her tracks inside of the door, taking the scene in. He almost bumped into her as he came down after her. The table was set according to his instructions, with a lot of long candles. In a vase was a large bouqette of baby pink roses that matched her dress exactly. He had planned it all minutely. After all, he was the fixer, he was used to paying attention to detail.

He took her gently by her arm and led her to her chair. He then poured them both some wine and sat down beside her. The view outside the window was very nice, the green water glistening in the sun. But she turned her head and looked over at him and decided that the view she had now was even better.

A couple of hours later, the canal boat returned them to the same shore. The sun had set and it was getting dark, but the August night was still warm.

"That was amazing." she said as they were walking arm in arm towards a taxi queue a bit furter away. "But we don't have to go home yet, do we?"

"Not if we don't want to." he said, looking warmly at her and asked "Where do you want to go?"

"Dunno. Let's just go get another drink somewhere." Stacie said. She was starting to get a bit tipsy, but she enjoyed the warm tingling feeling. It wasn't just the alcohol that made her feel that way, having him near affected her more than any amount of wine ever could.

"You are trying to get me drunk." he stated playfully as he opened the cab door for her to get in. He got in after her and told the driver where to take them.

"What if I am?" she asked.

He chuckeled at her seducing look and leaned in towards her. She moved forwards to close the last inch of space between them, still looking straight into his light blue eyes. Their lips captured each other in a sweet and tentative kiss.

She parted her lips willingly and he slid his tongue in between, registering her every taste as he carefully explored her mouth. She groaned huskily into his throath and he felt himself get harder by the second.

Finally, they had to break apart to get some air. She looked longingly at him. "You're good." she said simply before leaning in to him and resting her head on his shoulder.

They sat still for a couple of minutes before the cab stopped in front of a quiet wine bar on the corner of a picturesque little square. She recognised it as the bar where they had all gone to celebrate conning Meredith Gates into buying a fake painting a few years back.

Stacie and Ash walked in to the bar, she was leaning slightly on him. They found an empty table overlooking the square and sat down.

"Remember the last time we were here?" she asked him.

"Yeah. After the Mondrian scam." he answered "I think it was Mickey who found this place." He was looking at her intently. She sensed that he wasn't done and waited for him to continue. "You looked so beautiful that night, in your blue coat, laughing with a glass of wine in your hand. That's when I knew that I had fallen in love with you."

She didn't know what to say. She had had no idea that he'd seen her as any more than a friend until just a couple of weeks back. She had harboured feelings for him for a very long time. But she hadn't really admitted it to herself until about a year ago. And the horrible fugu incident had made her realise just how dear he was to her.

"Wow." she wispered, tears in her eyes. "I had no idea. You should have told me."

"I was afraid of ruining our friendship. You didn't feel as strongly for me then as I hope you do now. And I was afraid of pushing you away." He was looking down into the table, not daring to look into her eyes.

"You've always had a special place in my heart. But it wasn't until last year that I finally realised how attached to you I had become. If I had known the way you felt, I would have ..." her voice trailed off as he looked up at her again. "Well, I don't know what. But I would have made you see how much I love you." She reached out and stroked his chin.

He smiled and leaned into her touch.


	5. Chapter 5

**5. One born every minute**

When they had arrived back at the hotel in the early hours of the morning they kissed passionately outside the front entrance and he'd let her go in first. They weren't sure if the others were still up and didn't want to take the chance of being found out just yet.

They needen't have worried, the flat was dark as Stacie opened the door and she could hear the faint snoring sounds coming from Albert's room. Danny and Billy were nowhere to be seen but judging by the amount of empty beer bottles on the counter, she was sure they were asleep. She retreived her phone from her bag and sent Ash a text message. _All clear_.

When she emerged from her room a minute later, Ash was closing the door behind him. He wasn't wearing the same clothes as he had a few minutes earlier, but had changed into a pair of jeans and a casual grey shirt. "What happened to you?" she wispered.

"The way you looked at my suit in the cab, I was sure you would jump me as soon as we got back. So in order to get any sleep I had to change into something less hot, didn't I? " he said grinning as he walked over to the kitchen. "Actually, I thought it would be wise to get back wearing the same clothes I went out in and I had no excuse for wearing a suit."

"Just to set the record straight," she started flirting with him as she pressed her form against his, causing him to get caught in between her warm body and the sink, "it wasn't the suit I wanted to jump. I was the man in it. The hot guy with piercing blue eyes that I go to sleep thinking about every night."

He felt her lean in to him. She took his breath away and made him go weak at the knees. He captured her mouth and started stroking the small of her back with his left hand as he had to use the left to steady himself from falling over.

He forced himself to lean back aginst the sink. He looked at her, hunger burning in his eyes. "This is dangerous." he said in a low voice.

"I know. But I couldn't help myself." she said and made to take a step away from him. He didn't want to let go yet, so he pulled her into a hug.

"Do you think we'll be able to hide it from them?" she asked him. They had decided at the wine bar to keep their relationship to themselves for now. It was all very new and they didn't want to tell anyone yet. It was their secret.

They knew they wouldn'r be able to keep it secret long. Working and living so close together, their colleagues were bound to find out soon. But for as long as it lasted, Stacie and Ash had decided to move things at their own pace. And that would certainly not be working once Danny caught wind of their affair.

"I guess Alby knows. I think he's always known." Ash said. "But Danny would have said something and Billy is still the new kid on the block."

"Might not take them very long to guess, if we keep stealing glances of one another." she said, still keeping her head against his neck and her arms around him. She felt more comfortable than ever before, being so close to him. "On the other hand, there's one born every minute ..."

He laughed quietly at her jab at the two younger men who weren't there to fend for themselves. Then he squeezed her even tighter onto him before letting go. "Now. We both need to get some sleep if we're going to have any chance of keeping them in the dark. The sweetest con of all ..."

"... is to con another grifter." she filled in. She put her hands on his chest. "Thank you, Ash, I had a wonderful evening. You keep on amazing me."

He stood up straight and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. "Off to bed."

"Sweet dreams, love." she smiled, letting go of him and walking over to her door. He stood still, watching her for a moment before he too set off for bed.

The day after tomorrow was the grande finale for this mark, they had a lot to do before that. Tomorrow was going to be busy.


	6. Chapter 6

**6. Carry on**

They had pulled of the con and got their money. It had been a long day. So they had gone to Eddie's for a celebratory drink. After the drink, Billy had gone to a party with a mate and the rest of them went on to a sports bar. Albert had soon spotted a potential mark at the bar and gone over to start up a conversation. A while lated he had left with the mark and a group of stock brokers.

Ash, Danny and Stacie continue to to a hip pub frequented by people from the city. Danny striked up a conversation with a young blonde and the two of them decided to go somewhere more quiet. He came over to the table where Ash and Stacie were sitting and told them he would make his own way back. "I found this bird, we're heading back to hers. I'll see you in the morning. Or maybe late afternoon ..." he said.

"Are you telling me that you're already going off with that girl you met about two minutes ago?" Stacie asked.

"Sorry, Stacie, you're not the lucky lady tonight. But don't give up, tomorrow's another day, eh?" Danny said, flirting at her. He turned to Ash "Take care of her, will ya?"

Ash was about to nod in agreement when Stacie cut him off.

"I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." she stated.

But Danny didn't hear her, he had already walked away with the blonde. Ash looked at Stacie. "You can, can you?"

"Well," she said, smiling at him. "You're allowed to take care of me if you want to."

"I do." he answered.

"Talking of 'I do's', how is June doing?" she asked, suddenly serious again.

He sighed. "Oh, you know. Some days she's fime. And then, suddenly, the fog will come down and she gets confused, upset. It's hard on her. And on me too." He was the only family his ex wife had, so the burden fell on him to look after her.

Stacie watched him sometimes when he came back from visiting at the care home. Every time, he looked years older and his eyes lost their sparkle. She'd made a habit of finding ways to cheer him up when he came home. Telling him a joke, buying his favourite ice cream, small things that helped the magical sparkle return.

"I have noticed, you know." he said, looking fondly at her. "You make an effort to make me happy again every time I visit June. And it does help." He lit a cigarette and drew a deep breath.

"I was pretty sure you had figured it out. You just look so devastated sometimes. I have to try to make you smile again."

"Thanks." he said simply, as he blew a perfect smoke circle. He was grateful for her care, but he didn't know how exactly to tell her. But she knew.

"Me and Jake never had what you and June had. What you still seem to have. You always were together, close. Whereas we, it was a whirlwind. On and on and on like a carousel. And then one day he was gone and I hardly even missed him. He had taken everything with him, my savings and my future. I was furious, but never really sad."

"And we did get him in the end." Ash said, smiling at the memory.

They were silent for a while. Both were thinking about their past. Then she reached out for his hand and asked "Do you want to go somewhere else?"

"I'd go anywhere with you." he said, winking at her across the table. Then he continued "Why don't we go back to the hotel and have a drink on the roof top?"

"Perfect." she said and gathered her purse to go. He put the cigarette stump into the ash tray on the table. "You know, I've always found cigarette smoke very soothing." she said as she put her arm around his waist. "And you do blow the most perfect smoke circles. I think it's cute."

He smiled, walking beside her with an arm casually thrown over her shoulder.

Ash sat on the roof terasse on a big blanket they had brought up for the occation. She was laying beside him, resting her head in his lap. She had a glass of champagne in her hand and he stuck to his usual scotch. They had brought up a big bowl of ice cream as well, but not eaten very much of it.

She closed her eyes and smiled faintly as he started stroking her cheek. "Does it bother you, our age difference?" he asked softly.

She opened her eyes surprisedly and looked up at him "Nope, the thought hasn't even crossed my mind. Does it bother you?"

"Sometimes. A little." he admitted. "The fact that I knew you as a child makes it hard sometimes."

"Ash." she said "You're one of my best friends and I love you, both as a friend and as something a lot more. The fact that you and my dad were working together doesn't alter anything. Besides, you're much younger than him and we are both grown-ups." She really meant it, it didn't bother her. She closed her eyes again and readjusted her head in his lap.

"I know. Did you know that I babysat you one?" he asked her.

She opened her eyes once again and giggled. "What? When? I can't remember that."

"You were only three. Your parents went out for the evening and I volunteered to look after you. But I wasn't able to get you to sleep, even thought I read you story after story. So in the end I let you stay up watching telly with me until your parents came home. They weren't pleased." he said, looking into the sky.

"Wow, I never knew that." she said in a low voice. "I bet you're good with kids. Did you and June ever think of getting any?"

He looked down at her again. He looked a bit sad. "Yea', we did think about it. But with this life style, it's hardly convenient. Well, it's the life we sign up for, innit?" he said quietly. "What about you?"

"Children never was a priority. I love them, but I love the job even more. My dad was always terrified that something would happen to me because of his grifting. I don't want to live like that, scared every minute of every day that someone I piss off might hurt my child."

"Yeah, he always was a bit careful, your father. He told me more than once to keep an eye on you and your mum if anything ever happened to him." he admitted.

"He used to tell me to keep an eye on you, as well." she laughed.

"And so, here we are, obeying orders." he said laughingly. He started tracing invisible patterns on her shoulder with his thumb.

"I'm not sure this was exactly what he had in mind." she said playfully.

"What about this then?" he asked in the same half-joking manner as he run his hand down her side. He felt her chest rise as he let the palm of his hand caress the side of her breast and then halt to rest on her flat stomach.

"No, that was what _I _had in mind." she smiled. She sat up and turned towards him. He put an arm around her shoulder as she slowly leaned in and kissed him. It felt like their lips melted together and they were about to deepen the kiss, when they heard the door close downstairs.

"Hello?" they heard Albert say loudly downstrairs.

Stacie and Ash looked at each other and she backed up a little, but he still held his arm around her. "We're here. On the roof." Ash shouted in the direction of the stairs, still not breaking the look.

Albert climed up the strairs and came out on the roof top. He looked at the pair before him and smiled knowingly. "Hope I didn't interrupt anything" he said winking at them.

"Albie!" Stacie said, turning slightly pink around her ears.

Ash chuckled and Albert joined in. "Don't worry, I'll be on my way to bed" he said gaily and held up his hands as a sign of truce. He turned around and went back inside. They could hear him call out "Carry on." as he descended the strairs and into the kitchen.

"Night, Albert." Ash said loudly. Then he pulled Stacie back into a close embrace and carefully stroked her hair, pushing a few unruly strands behind her ear. He gently turned her head slightly and kissed her on the temple. She put one hand on his chest and one on his leg, at the same time steadying herself and making contact with his body. He kissed his way down from her left temple to her neck. He took his time to explore her smell, a sweet scent of jasmine mixed with a sprinkle of honey. "You smell like a sweet summer day." he wispered into her neck, as he started moving towards her mouth.

She was about to return the compliment with one about him when he silenced her by capturing her lips hungrily. She moved closer into him and brought up her hand to the back of his head, where it started playing with his hair.

Her hand slid down to his back and pulled him even closer, so that their bodies were touching intimately. After a while, he moved his mouth away from hers and nibbeled softly at her ear lobe, before breaking free. He was breathing heavily, as were she.

"Come here." she said and got up. She took his hand and helped him up from the roof top. Then she pushed him in front of her towards one of the deck chairs and pushed him down into it, all the while staring intently into his eyes. She sat down, straddling him, and put her hands around his neck and bowed down in order to be able to kiss him again.

He was surprised by her sudden intensity, but happily obeyed and follower her lead. He pulled her a bit closer and caressed the small of her back. She could feel the bulge inside his jeans grow, through her own grey slacks. It was an impressive feeling, and she really longed for them to be able to take it to the next step.

"I love it when you're bossy." he said cheekily after they'd stopped for air.

"I notice." she told him back, winking at him saucily. She continued smiling sadly "I'd love to boss you around some more, downstairs, but I'm afraid the walls here aren't thick enough."

He groaned. "Next time we move, remind me to get us a separate room."


	7. Chapter 7

**7. You do look a bit green**

"You all right?" she asked as he walked up to her at the café where they had decided to meet.

Ash sat down at the table and gave a small croocked smile. He had been visiting June at the home and then gone on to their rendez-vous point. He looked over at her. She was wearing an olive green tube top and dark jeans which hugged her figure flatteringly. His stunningly beautiful girlfriend, who always took such care to keep him happy. "I'm fine. She's had a good day today, we took a stroll through the park. Well, I strolled and pushed, she sat in the wheelchair." he said.

Stacie smiled broadly. She was glad that he seemed to have enjoyed a peaceful afternoon with his ex. And now they had the rest of the evening alone together to look forward to, just the two of them. "I'm glad."

"So, now that I'm here, what do you want to do tonight?" he asked her. They hadn't planned anything in advance this time, only to meet at a café close to June's home.

"I don't know, really. Have you got any ideas?" she asked.

"Well, we could do the traditional thing, go catch a film and then out to dinner. Or we could do something more extravagant, like going off to Paris for the night. That last con left us pretty well stashed." he said. "It's up to you."

"Paris?" she was taken aback by his suggestion.

"Yeah, why not. The only problem is, then even Danny would smell a rat."

"I don't mind him finding out, if you don't. But all the same, I think it might be a good idea to stay put for the time being. And we've got to see the mark tomorrow."

"Yeah, but that's not until evening ..." he started, but trailed off when she put her hand on his thigh under the table and slowly rubbed it up and down suggestingly.

"Ash, when I go away with you, I want us to stay for more than a mere few hours." she told him, looking straight into his with a mixture of love and lust in her dark eyes. Her hand trailed upwards once again.

***

"Oi, where did you sneak off to last night?" Danny asked Stacie when she walked into Eddie's bar the next morning.

She felt hungover enough without him grilling her. They hadn't gotten back until early morning. After having spent a successful evening at a casino, they had had dinner at a fancy restaurant and made it through a few pubs. Back at the hotel, Billy had still been up, so they had joined him in a 'few' drinks for the road.

"What are you, my dad?" she asked gruffily, sitting down in the corner beside Albert. As she sat down, Danny caught a glimpse of her eyes behind her large sunglasses and didn't dare ask any more questions.

Ash strolled in, looking a bit worn out as well. "Do us a coffee, Eddie. Triple espresso, no milk. Stick it on the slate." he said hoarsly as he walked towards their table.

"No more slates. Strictly cash." Eddie answered from behind the bar.

Ash sat down heavily. "Oh, not again. Everything's about money these days." he said to Danny. "So where's Billy?" he asked, looking around at the other three memebers of the crew that were sat around their regular table.

"He's still asleep. No wonder, you got to bed very late indeed." Albert said.

"Sorry if we kept you awake." said Ash apologetically.

Stacie nodded. "Sorry, Albie."

"Don't worry, darling, you didn't. But Billy had some trouble remembering what room was his, he came in to my room and was very upset to find me asleep in what he thought to be his bed." Albert smiled.

"Oh god, were we that drunk?" asked Ash, looking at Stacie.

"Yes, we were. I remember that part all too well." said Stacie as she shrugged and run a hand through her hair.

"Aah, it's all coming back to me now." Ash said, suddenly remembering the amount of mixed shots they had thrown back in the hotel. They had ransacked the mini bar and mixed all kinds of drinks together. He winced at the memory. "I don't feel that well." he said.

"You do look a bit green." said Danny.

At that moment, Billy made his entrance. "Morning, Eddie. Morning, all." he said, walking briskly into the bar.

"You look chirpy." Stacie said sourly.

"You don't." he answered back and got icy stares from both Stacie and Ash. "Whoa, keep it cool. I ain't said anything, right?" he said. Albert chuckled, which gained him a look of mock hurt from Ash.

"How come you seem so well, while we look like death warmed up?" Ash turned around and asked Billy, who was standing at the bar waiting for the hot chocolate he had ordered.

"Hey, speak for yourself." Stacie quipped.

"No, sorry love, but you look just as bad as me." he said matter-of-factly.

She sighed and took off her sunglasses. "Nope. I look worse." she groaned.

Ash leaned over the table to look at her more closely and studied her for a while before teasingly saying "You're right."

"Cheers ..." she said and looked down into her lap. "I'll never mix tequila and Bailey's again. It was bloody discusting."

"Tequila and ..." Danny asked, staring at her. "You must have been out of it."

"We all were." Ash said. "I'm telling you, that whisky-orange liqeur shot wasn't exactly delicious either."

"Who would have thought it, eh?" Danny said in a mocking voice. "It sounds like such a good idea."

"That's what I thought at the time." Ash said simply. "I'm not so sure anymore. So, Billy, what did you do to avoid the hangover."

"I don't know. I'm just one of those persons whe never get hungover." he said as he sat down at the table with the rest of them.

"Ugh, I hate you." Stacie told him, looking like she'd given up.

She still hadn't answered Danny's question about here whereabouts the previous evening, but he hadn't seemed to notice. So far, they were doing good, she thought.


	8. Chapter 8

**8. One way or the other**

That evening, they gave the mark a convincer. Everything went according to plan and he seemed to had taken the bait. They had three days to prepare before they were scheduled to pull it off.

Danny wanted them to meet at Eddie's for a drink and perhaps a game of cards. Albert and Ash sat at the bar, talking to the publican. "Dear Eddie, I'm sorry, but you'll never make it as a serious grifter." Albert said after Eddie had tried to show them a new card trick that he had picked up online. And messed it up badly.

"Yeah, don't give up the day job just yet." Ash agreed.

"I don't know what happened. I'm tellin' you, fellas, it went perfectly when I practiced in front of the mirror." Eddie tried to convince them. There were cards all around the bar counter.

Danny walked in, a laughing Billy trailing after him. If looks could have killed, everyone in the room would already have been put down by Danny's dark stares.

"What's so funny?" Ash asked, smiling expectedly. This is gonna be good, he thought to himself.

"Nothing!" Danny shot at them.

"Bring our drinks to the table, will you. Good man." Albert said to Eddie who was still picking up the cards.

"Yeah, yeah." the bartender sighed.

Three of the men sat down at the table in the corner, but Danny refused to sit down. He was pacing around the room sending Billy angry looks every now and again.

"What happened to him?" Ash asked of Billy, who was almost able to control his laughter by now.

"You should have seen it. It was wicked." he said, but didn't get a chance to give an explanation before he was cut off by the angry man stomping around on the floor.

"No it wasn't." he gruffed. "I'll get him, one way or the other."

Albert said calmly but sternly "Danny, tell us what happened."

The blonde man was quiet, so Albert turned to Billy instead. He was more forthcoming. "It's this bird, yeah, in the shop on the corner. Danny's been trying to pull for some time now. He thought he was in there already." Billy told them.

Danny sent him an angry look. "It's private, all right?"

"Well it didn't seem private in there." Billy said and nodded in the general direction of said shop. "You've been chatting her up for weeks and never cared about privacy before. Anyway, he was tellin' her all kinds of things that I ain't gonna repeat and she seemed to be up for it. But then all of a sudden, her boyfriend comes out from the back. He's this big bloke, huge. And Danny almost pissed himself, 'cause the bloke was steamin', he'd heard the whole conversation. So Danny took a step back and knocked over a pile of juice bottles. It was hilarious."

"Not from where I was standin', it bloody wasn't." Danny fumed.

"And then," Billy continued laughingly "Then he fell over on one of the juice boxes and landed on his arse. That's why he ain't sitting down, he was limping all the way here."

Ash had a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, but he didn't say anything. Albert looked a bit concerned. "How are you feeling, Daniel?" he asked.

Danny had stopped in the middle of the floor. "It hurts to walk" he admitted and looked sorry for himself.

"You'll feel better once you have a drink inside you." Eddie said, handing out the different glasses.

Danny moved over to the table. He had decided to try sitting down and was working up the courage to do so.

Stacie walked in, wearing a knee-length green dress with a dark pink belt. Everyone turned to stare at her in awe. Danny decided not to sit down after all, he didn't want to look pityful in front of a dressed-up Stacie.

"Danny's gotten beaten up by a carton of orange juice." Ash told her amusedly.

"What happened?" she asked Danny worriedly at the same time as she smiled a little.

"Nothing, I'm fine." he said seriously. Then he asked her "Hold on. Where are you going all dressed up?"

"Well, I don't think that's any of your business, Danny." she answered smilingly.

"She's got a date" Ash told the rest of them openly. Albert smiled.

"A date? Who with?" Danny asked curiously.

"Ahem ... me." Ash answered smiling broadly as he looked up at her standing by the side of the table. They had decided it was for the best to spill the beans to the rest of the group. Of course, Albert already knew, but they didn't want to hide it from Danny and Billy either.

Danny turned to look questioningly at Ash. "What?" he asked, not able to take it in just yet.

"That's right." Stacie told him. Then she turned to Ash and said "And you're not even dressed yet. Get a move on." She took his hand as they walked out of the pub.

"Don't wait up." Ash said, throwing a glance over his shoulder, as they went round the corner.

Danny was standing in the same spot, mouth open wide. Albert told him "Danny. Shut your mouth and sit down."

Danny was still so taken aback, he did exactly what he had been told. He winced as he sat down on the sofa, his backside hurt.

"Oh man, you're on a roll." Billy said mockingly to Danny. Albert gave a short laugh.

"Albie, how long have you known?" Danny asked, his brain finally being able to function properly again.

"Known what? That they are in love or that they're going out together?" the man asked.

"In love?" Danny repeted, swallowing.

"Yes, my boy. Can't you see the passion they have for each other. It's been there a long time." Albert said.

Danny groaned. "Why doed this always happen to me? Ash is a nice enough guy. But I always ..." he trailed off.

"You what?" Billy asked curiously.

"You always thought that you would be the one to end up with Stacie." Albert said softly to Danny. "Alltough she's done her best to tell you differently, you never accepted it."

"No." Danny wispered into the surface of the table.

"Let's see." she said as she gave the clothes in his warderobe a once over. She picked out a white shirt and the same navy coloured pin striped suit that he wore on their first date. She threw the clothes on his bed and chose a pair of navy blue leather shoes. "Strip." she said, looking teasingly over at him.

"That's not fair. You're dressed." he answered back smilingly.

"I've seen your looks. You've already undressed me with your eyes tonight, more times than I could count." she said, but walked towards the door to give him some privacy anyway. She closed the door behind her before he got a chance to answer.

Stacie walked to her room and picked up a small package from her closet. She had bought it a couple of days ago and saved it for this occation. They were going to her parent's house to celebrate their wedding anniversary and she'd told them that she would bring a date. Her mother had sounded curious, but she hadn't told her anything more.

Stacie went into the living room to wait for Ash. He came out almost immediately, dressed in the clothes she'd picked out for him. "Aren't I supposed to wear a tie as well?" he asked as he fastened the last buttons in his shirt.

"Here you go." she said and handed him the package.

He unfolded the paper and pulled out a tie in the exact same dark pink colour as her belt. "Perfect." he chuckled. She took the tie from him and tied it around his neck. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek as a thank you.

"Are you ready?" he asked her.

"As I'll ever be." she smiled back and picked up her purse.

***

Twenty minutes later, their cab pulled in outside a terraced red brick house on the other side of town. She pulled away from his embrace and straightened out the hem of her dress as Ash paid the driver.

They had decided to arrive a bit early, so they'd be able to talk to her parents before the rest of the guests arrived. If there was going to be a scene, they didn't want all of her parents' friends to witness it.

"It looks just like before." he commented when they were walking up the path to the door. "I haven't been here for, uh, almost ten years."

She smiled at him. "Are you sure?" she said, holding her finger on the door bell but not pressing it just yet. He understood that she didn't mean the neighbourhood, so he nodded and she pressed the buzzer.

The door was opened by Stacie's mother. She was a slightly sturdy woman in her early sixties who was wearing a two-piece suit in a floral pattern. She was joined at the door by her husband, a tall dark man about the same age as his wife.

"Stacie, darling." her mother greeted her with open arms. She turned to Ash. "Hey! Look, Harry, it's Ash."

Stacie's father had already seen his old mate. "I sent you an invite, but I wasn't sure if you still lived at the same adress. It's good to see you."

"Likewise, Harry. It's been too long." Ash shook hands with the older man and his wife. "Mona. You look beautiful, as ever." he smiled at her.

"You charmer!" Mona said smilingly as she stepped aside to let the two of them into the house. She turned to her daughter. "I thought you said you'd bring a date."

"I did." she answered nervously and glanced over at Ash.

Her mother laughed. "I thought you meant a boyfriend."

Stacie bit her lower lip and said "I did bring my boyfriend." Ash put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close into his side.

Mona suddenly understood and smiled warmly at the pair in front of her. Harry grabbed Ash's hand again and shook it even more cordially. "You take care of her, won't you." he said, trying to sound serious. But the smile tugging at the corner of his lips gave him away.

"I will. I just hope I won't have to call you 'sir' now." Ash chuckled.

"Now that's a thought, eh, Harry?" Mona said to her husband, winking a little. Then she turned to the guests and offered "Drink?"

"I wouldn't mind something stiff. That was nerve racking." Ash told her. "I haven't been as nervous in years."

She laughed at him. "Well that serves you right for seducing my little girl." she said mockingly.

"Aye." he shrugged. "But I'll let you know, it was she who seduced me."

"Really?" Mona asked interestedly.

"She got me drunk and kissed me." he told her with his eybrows raised.

"Mum, don't believe a word he tells you!" Stacie cried smilingly. Her mother smiled warmly at her.

"Nah. I've loved her for years." Ash admitted, blushing a little. "Only, it took me some time to work up the courage to tell her."

"Well, I'm glad you did." said Harry gladly. "Now, what about a scotch?"

Five minutes later, the living room was packed with family and friends. Ash knew a lot of them from the old days, pulling short cons with Harry. "Jim!" he exclaimed as he spotted a familiar face walking into the room.

"Three Socks." the man replied happily. "It's been a long time." he said as he came over to the sofa to shake hands with his old colleague. "I was asking Harry about you only the other day, but he said he wasn't sure if he'd got the right adress for you."

"Yeah, I've been moving around a bit." Ash said, rubbing his neck. "What are you up to nowadays, Jim?"

"A bit of this 'n that, you know. Officially I'm retired. But I play a bit of black jack to keep the old machinery in trim." Jim said tapping his head. "What about you? I heard something about you being in a long con gang."

"That's right. I work with Albert Stroller and a young grifter called Danny Blue. And Harry's daughter Stacie, too."

"Albert Stroller. I didn't know he was still around, thought he'd gone back to the wild west. Now, he's a true legend."

"He is that. Sharp as a knife and fit for his age. He claims the grifting keeps him young." Stacie said as she sat down beside her boyfriend. "Hiya, uncle Jim. How's Carol and Jenny?"

Jim assured her that his daughters were fine and gave her an update on their lives. "I heard you're working with Ash. You've out-witted him long ago, I presume." he said with a sly smile at Ash.

"No chance." she laughed and put her hand lightly on Ash's thigh.

Ash blushed and his friend raised his eyebrows slightly at the familiar gesture. He excused himself to get a drink but promised to be back later.

"So, it'll be round the room in a matter of moments." Stacie said matter-of-factly.

He shrugged. "Well, I don't know about you. But I'm proud to be here with you."

She leaned in to kiss him at the corner of his lips. "Now they'll definately know." he stated, before moving his head to the side to give her a quick kiss on the lips.

When she drew away from him again, she noticed that her parents were wathing them from across the room. It was her time to blush. She straightened the collar of his suit, as she waited for her cheeks to turn their normal colour again.


	9. Chapter 9

I had written quite a smutty chapter here, but then I found out that doesn't like that kind of thing, so I cut the good bit out and only posted the 'lame stuff' here. If you want the original Ch9, just email me and I'll send it to you (only if you're over the age of 18, obviously ...).

**9. Three Socks Morgan**

At eleven they made their excuses and called a cab. By then everyone at the party knew that they were a couple.

"You'll be holding your own wedding anniversaries soon." Mona said as they had said good bye.

"Night, mum." Stacie said, rolling her eyes, but smiling happily. She was glad that her parents had accepted their relationship so readily. The few men she had brought to meet her parents hadn't all been a success with her elders. They'd never liked Jake much, which in the end did seem like a good call.

"That went well." she said as they got into the back of the black cab.

"Yeah. They didn't even remind me of the time I babysat you." he said happily.

"You see? Nobody cares about the age difference."

"You mean that I'm an oldtimer and you're barely out of nappies?" he said with an ironic over statement.

"Now, that's not very flattering for either of us." she exclaimed. "You're not old, Ash. And it's almost thirty years since I've worn diapers."

"Come here, you." he said in a low voice as he leaned back in his seat. Stacie leaned into him and traced the line of his jaw with soft kisses. She sat up a little more and reached up for his lips.

"Lexington, was it?" the cab driver interrupted them by asking.

Stacie removed her lips from her boyfriend's, mumbled in agreement to the driver and climbed into Ash's lap.

"Careful." he said, looking a bit worried. "If we've gone through the experience of paying our hotel bill like normal people, I'd very much like for us to enjoy it. And with this pace, I'm not sure I'll be able to hold out for long."

Stacie pouted. She stopped grinding her hips to his, but stayed put in his lap. "You seem very sure of getting some tonight." she said mockingly.

"Yeah, well. As you booked us a room with a double bed ..." he said, grinning.

"A king size double bed and a jacuzzi." she wispered seductively into his ear.

He shuddered under her touch as she gently caressed his cheek. He took a tighter hold of her and pulled her close. "You drive me mad, do you know that?" he wispered.

"I assure you, the feeling is mutual." she said before starting to kiss him deeply again. This time, she was taking care not to make too close contact with his groin. She wanted this night to be truly memorable to the both of them.

As they arrived in their room, there was a complimentary champagne bottle in a cooler on the table. Their bags had been sent there earlier and were waiting by the door.

"D' you want a glass of bubbly?" Ash asked as she opened the glass doors and stepped out onto the balcony. He took off his jacket and reached for the bottle.

"I'd love one." she answered and turned around to get back in. Her voice became soft "But first, I want you."

He put the bottle back into cooler and walked the few steps towards her. He enveloped her in a large bear hug and pressed her body close to his. "Stace. Are you sure?" he asked slowly, suddenly aware that they were about to take a big leap.

"I am." she said, her face nuzzeled into the side of his neck. "Why are you so nervous?" She nibbled softly at his neck.

"I've been wanting this for so long. I'm just worried of pushing you into something we're not ready for yet." he said, looking out into the starry sky while stroking the back of her head.

She pulled back and took his hand. "I wouldn't be here if I hadn't longed for it as well." she said as she led him to the bed.

*******

The next morning, Stacie woke up when she felt the smell of fresh coffee enter her nostrils. Ash was sitting beside her on the bed, wearing the suit trousers from yesterday and a white tee. He held two cups of coffee in his hands, but gave her one when she sat up and leant against the head board.

She toop a sip of the hot dark liquid and smiled at him. "Mhmm. Good morning."

"Morning. It's not too hot, is it?"

"The only thing that's too hot is you." she said and raised an eyebrow seductively at him. She took his coffee cup from him and placed them both on the night stand beside the bed. She was still naked, so she kept the duvet around her as she moved over to where he was sitting.

He kept looking at her smilingly as she lifted the duvet and took it with her as she climbed into his lap. "Hey, you little minx. You're awake." he said smilingly and stroked her hair.

She leaned closer into him and captured his lips under hers. He let his fingers slide down under the duvet and trace the warm skin of her naked back.


	10. Chapter 10

**10. You got the girl**

"Morning, boys." Stacie said as she and Ash walked hand in hand into the living room. Albert and Billy returned their greeting but Danny sat silently on the sofa, looking out the window.

"Did you sleep all right?" Albert asked.

"Albie!" Stacie exclaimed, looking flushed.

"Wery well, thank you." Ash smiled and watched curiously as Billy handed a tenner over to Albert. He shot a questioning glance at the older man.

"We had a little bet, Billy and me. He dind't think I'd be able to make Stacie blush within two minutes of getting back."

"Thanks a lot, Albie." Stacie said and looked angrily at him. "This is hard enough for us as it is. How do you think it feels when our friends look upon us as aliens. And my parents..." she trailed off and stifled back a sob.

Albert walked up to her and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry, Stacie. We didn't mean anything, you know that. I love both of you and I think it's wonderful that you've found each other at last." He was ashamed of his behaviour and his ears started to burn.

Ash groaned. "Yeah, yeah. Stop feeling my girlfriend up, Albie." he said mockingly.

Albert turned around to look at Ash. He was astonished at the man's tone when Stacie was so obviously distressed. Stacie started laughing and Albert got even more confused.

"And I bet him forty pounds that I'd be able to make you blush, Albie." she said grinningly and then turned to Ash. "Pay up, gorgeous." He handed two notes to her.

"Boy, you had me there. And you told me off for betting ..." Albert said, shaking his head at Stacie. "So, how did it go at the party?"

"Just fine. We had a good time." Ash answered for her.

"I bet you did!" Billy smiled.

Danny still hadn't said a word, he'd been looking out the window during the whole conversation. He got up from the sofa and walked out of the room, towards the roof top. He didn't look at any of the others.

Stacie started to move. "I'll go after him." she said.

"Nah, let me go." Ash said and grabbed her hand. He sqeezed it once before letting go and heading in the same direction as the blond man.

Danny stood by the railing and looked out over the city when Ash emerged from the door. He glanced over his shoulder at Ash and then turned back to the view. Ash walked up to him ad leaned on the railing beside him. "What's up?" he asked.

"You know what." Danny answered through gritted teeth.

Ash sighed. Maybe it had been a mistake to think he'd be able to get through to Danny, he thought. "Listen, mate. We didn't want for you to get hurt. But we can't help how we feel for each other."

"I know." Danny said. "But I can't help it if I'm feeling cheated either."

Ash didn't know what to say. "Yeah, well how do you think I've felt over the years. You and Stace have always been close."

"You got her in the end, though, didn't you?" Danny asked bitterly. Ash was silent. "I had more slaps than a Morris dancer's ankles and you got the girl." Danny continued.

"I'm sorry." Ash said, and he meant it. They never wanted for Danny to get caught in between.

Danny finally turned to look at him. "Yeah? Well don't be. You're a good man Ash. I'll get over it. Eventually."

Ash patted him on his shoulder and said a small 'thanks'. Then he walked back in and left Danny alone on the roof.


	11. Chapter 11

This is the final chapter. I hope you've all enjoyed the ride. Thank you for reading!

**11. You decided to agree to anything I decided**

Danny stalked into the living room shortly after breakfeast. The rest of the group were already sat talking on the couches. They didn't have a con at the moment but were looking through the papers regularly to find one and Albert was out on his usual club round every afternoon, fishing for gossip.

Danny took his usual place, standing in front of the screen on the wall, facing them all.

"Okay, gang. I say we take a break for a few days. Me cousin's gettin married on Saturday, so I'll be gone over the weekend. Don't you underlings do anything stupid while boss is gone, eh?"

"Fine." Albert said.

Danny was about to leave the room when Billy asked him. "So where is this wedding gonna be then?"

"Dublin. Her husband-to-be is Irish." Danny answered.

"Good. It's about time you worked on your Irish accent." Albert stated. Danny gave him a tiny smile and went out of the room.

Billy sighed happily and patted his lap. "Goodie. My first hols. Mum's been naggin me to go see her for forever. She'll be happy, it'll keep her off me back for a while."

Stacie turned around to face Ash, who was sitting behind her on the sofa. "I think this means that we'll get our holiday." She turned back to Albert on the opposite couch. "Albie, do you want to come with us to Sandsend?"

Albert was chewing on the frame of his large black reading glasses. "Nah, my dear, I think I'll go see Harold and his wife in Benidorm. But thank you for the offer." he smiled, before getting up and moving into his bedroom.

Ash got up as well and went over to switch on his laptop. He sat down at the table. "So we decided on Sandsend in the end, did we?"

"Yes." Stacie says slowly as she walked over to the table. "We did. If I remember correctly, somewhere between the kiss at the restaurant on Friday night and breakfeast on Saturday morning, you decided to agree to anything I decided. Hence, Sandsend." she said and ruffled his hair.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her into his lap. They kissed quickly.

"Oh, get a room!" Billy shouted from the couch were he was slouched, reading an old magazine.

"We're about to." Ash stated. "Stacie, where do we want to stay? Hotel or cottage? Or perhaps you long for a weekend in a caravan?" he asked playfully.

She shuddered. "A caravan at the sea side in October? You must be joking. Cottage sounds good to me. Somewhere a bit off the beaten track, but still not totally isolated."

Ash agreed, so he started clicking on the keys of the computer. As Stacie was still sitting in his lap, he had to bend his neck around her shoulder in an akward angle in order to see the screen. A bit of a stiff neck is a small price to play for being able to look straight into her cleavage, he thougth. When he informed her of this, he got a swat on his arm and she jumped off his lap.

Billy chuckled.

***

Three days later, they sat on the train from Middlesbrough. It had been a long journey, but the scenery of the British landscape through the window was already making it worth it.

"I ain't been up in Yorkshire since I was twelve, I think. We went to Scarborough once in the summer." Ash said. He sat in the seat by the aisle, a crossword puzzle in his lap. Stacie had a pink chick lit novel in her lap, but neither of them had done much reading on the train. They had been taking in the view outside for the last thirty minutes and were soon to arrive in Whitby.

"I've never been here before." Stacie revealed, turning around to look at Ash and taking her eyes off the flock of sheep on the hill side.

"So why did you choose to come here then?"

"Because it's a new place for us to create new memories." she said and snuggled into his side.

He smiled widely and put his arm around her. "I like that."

When the train pulled into the old station in the centre of Whitby a few minutes later, Stacie was asleep against his side. He packed away his crossword and her book and woke her up. He softly rubbed his thumb against her cheek. "Wakey, wakey. We're here."

"Hmm?" she said as she opened her eyes. She looked out and quipped "What a cute little station."

Ash laughed and took their bags to get off the train. He collected their keys at the railway office and then went out to get a cab. They got into one of the waiting taxis and rode the short distance to Sandsend. The tide was going out and a few people were walking their dogs on the beach. A small boy was flying a kite, the breezy autumn wheater being perfect for that pastime.

They drove through town and then the driver turned onto a small lane just ahead of a steep hill. "That's the way you want to go for Lythe." said the man. "They have a nice pub, but if you want anything more grand you'll 'ave to go back to Whitby. There are some cafés here in Sandsend as well, tho'."

The driver unloaded their bags outside a quaint looking old fishersman's cottage called 'Thyme End'. "How long are you staying for?" ha asked as Stacie paid him.

"Just over the weekend. We wanted to go somewhere calm and relaxing." she said.

"Then you're in the right place. Come back in summer and it's packed with tourists, but this time o' year it'll only be you and the raindrops."

Ash smiled happily at that.

Fortunately, the cab driver had been wrong. It didn't rain all Saturday. Stacie and Ash had had a lie in and made breakfeast in bed. "What do we do today?" Ash said as he finished his tea and put the cup down.

"I'm guessing we'll go to Whitby for lunch. But what about a stroll on the beach first?" She continued teasingly "The sun is shining from a clear blue sky."

They had had this conversation numerous time before. Ash liked the fresh coast air but he prefered it when it was wasn't very hot. "I don't do sun."

"Come on. It's October, it's not the height of summer. Just humour me?"

Ash groaned, knowing he'd already lost the battle. He'd do anything for her, and a bit of sun couldn't really hurt. Besides, she was right, this time of year the sun wasn't as warm. It was the summer sun and the unbearable heat that he could't take. "Okay, okay. But then I get to pick the lunch restaurant."

Stacie rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, honey."

"We're having fish and chips." he stated gladly.

"I guess I can live with that." Stacie smiled down at him close beside her in bed. "But if that's what we're having, I think we might need some exercise first."

"All right, all right. I'm getting up." he said with the air of someone who's been defeated.

"And out." she said sternly.

"And out" he said and put his head back on his pillow again.

She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the corner of his mouth. He tried to move his head in order to get a proper kiss on the lips, but she was too quick for her. "Well ... let's get going then." she said smilingly as she jumped out of bed.

Soon Ash could hear the shower being turned on. Grinningly, he got up to join her under the hot water.

***

After lunch, which consisted of fish 'n chips at one of the several take out-places by the marina, they strolled around the East Cliff for a while before climbing the steep hill to the old abbey ruins. The view was grand. The vawes were glittering in the sun light and the sea gulls were screeching.

Ash held his arm around Stacie's shoulders as they stood on the hill top, looking down at the the people bustling about in the streets below.

The wide blue sea was calming to look at. They both stood there, staring at the waves and dreaming away. Ash thought back to the numerous times he'd been fishig with his father and his brother in sea side ports like this. He was woked un from his reminiscence by her her soft voice.

"Do you know what I'd like to do?" she asked dreamily.

"Me?" he said, smiling cheekily down at her.

She grinned. "Yeah, that to. But I was thinking of something else this time."

"What?"

"When we get a longer vacation next time, I know where I'd like to go with you."

"Where's that, then?" he asked curiously.

"Well, since _someone_ isn't all that fond of sun and warmth, I'm guessing Mauritius is out of the picture ..." he gloated smilingly at him.

"Can't think who your talking about." he said slowly while concentrating on one of the sea gulls flying above them.

"I think we should go somewhere really cold. We both love the sea, so why not go somewhere where we could actually walk on the sea, I mean on the ice?" she asked.

He looked lovingly down at her. She had readily accepted the fact that he 'didn't do sun' and she had adapted to it, planning things that wouldn't take them somewhere warm. He loved her even more for it. "That would be interesting." he said. The fact that you could walk on the ice, he had known. But he'd never tried it, and it sounded fascinating.

"One might even say that it would be cool." she giggled.

Ash laughed at her bad joke. "You're just hilarious, d'you know that?" he said sarcastically.

"You're laughing." she stated in self defence.

"Must be 'cause I have a wierd sense of humour too, then." he said smilingly. She nodded pointedly at his statement.

Then he got serious. "Stacie, I'm touched that you plan on going somewhere where the temperature is below nil for my sake. I guess we could go south some time as well. Not Mauritius, though, you'd have to scrape me off the floor even before I got out of the plane. But perhaps Italy, that I think I might survive that."

She looked up at him adoringly and move in towards him. She leaned her cheek against his leather clad shoulder and looked up at him, her arms tightly wrapped around his form. "I love you." she said as she looked into his eyes.

Soon, they didn't even hear the sea gulls screeching anymore. They were too deep into their kiss to notice anything around them.

**fin.**


End file.
